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Everest Women's 7 Summit Team GOES VEGAN!!

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PRESS RELEASE:

EVEREST WOMEN'S SEVEN SUMMITS ECO-ACTION

In July 2010 a team of nine Nepali women will begin the first international leg of a tour that will see them climb seven of the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. On successfully climbing all seven summits they will be setting a world record for being the largest team to do so.

The team will be using their expedition to highlight the urgent issue of climate change, and as part of this focus the whole team has now adopted a vegan diet for the entire tour.This decision was made in response to the wealth of information regarding the overwhelming impact human food choices have on climate change, including the recent UN study [1] which indicates that a global shift towards plant based eating is one of the best ways to alleviate most significant environmental damage, including climate change.

Further to this personal commitment, the project will be made carbon neutral via carbon offsetting.The team have partnered with a local Nepali NGO, Clean Energy Nepal, for that. They are focusing on solar lanterns, bio-gas, and tree plantations in the Himalayan villages to offset the carbon emission resulting from the project.

In May 2008 this team of inspiring young women became the most successful women's expedition ever to Summit Mt Everest.Against all kinds of socio-economic odds the team succeeded in doing what none thought possible.All of them reached the summit and spread the message of 'Unity in Diversity' from the top of the world.

During that expedition the issue of climate change struck the members deeply, and subsequent travels across the country motivating students allowed them to witness further instances of the serious effects of climate change.So with the first, and arguably the most challenging summit behind them the climbers have now taken up a mission that is both meaningful and helpful not just in Nepal but globally.

The members of the team are Asha Kumari Singh, Chunu Shrestha, Maya Gurung, Ngabhang Phuti Sherpa, Nimdoma Sherpa, Pema Diki Sherpa, Pujan Acharya, Shailee Basnet and Usha Bist. Each of these young women has her own compelling story of struggle, challenges, hope and determination. Born of poor parents, one started supporting her family when she was in the sixth grade. Another ran away from home to unknown destination to escape forced marriage at the age of fourteen. Their backgrounds combined with the previous success and a new vision makes this global expedition, led by such intrepid young women quite unique.

The Seven Summits Eco-Action kick-starts in Australia on the 29th of June.The team fly into Sydney and travel down to the south coast of NSW and then up to the alpine region, to climb Mt Kosciuszko/ Targangil in early July.They will be meeting with schools, environment groups, famous climbers, environmentalists, scientists and politicians during their tour, as well as speaking at several public events in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

The next peak in the challenge, Mt Elbrus in Europe, will be followed by Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Aconcagua (South America), Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania) and Denali (North America). The team will be raising funds during their Australian trip to support future climbs.

The team has made the following vision and mission statements:

Vision: Providing hope to people and empowering them by sharing knowledge about tools for mitigation and adaptation through education and cross cultural learning in order to promote sustainable co-existence of nature and human beings.

Mission: Climb the seven summits, conduct educational exchange programmes on climate change in each continent and finally compile the global knowledge in educational materials including a book,animations and posters which will be distributed in schools and libraries in various languages worldwide.